The San Pedro Sun

Letter to the Editor: Thanks from the San Pedro Town LibraryDear Editor,
The San Pedro Town Public Library and the Senior Librarian Mrs. Ira Acosta would like to extend special thanks to the Minister Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. for his invaluable help in sponsoring our two library assistants who have been with us for the past month.
Ms. Lisa Castillo and Ms. Hermela Rodriguez assisted us with the summer program, and also with helping at the library, thank you ladies.
We hope the patronage of the Minister, the businesses and the community continues in the future, again thank you to all our sponsors.
/s/ Iracela Acosta
San Pedro Town Public Library

Letter to the Editor: NFAT says ThanksDear Editor,
On behalf of the First Aid Team Responders/Paramedics (NFAT) from Belize City, I want to thank those that were kind enough to support the community of San Pedro and the Costa Maya Festival.
We were able to get great support from the Administrator of the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Poly Clinic II, Mr. Owen Vellos, with supplies, coordination of meeting with physicians and the founder, Darwin Slusher. Thank you to EMT/Paramedic, Director General Mr. Owen Sanchez, paramedic with 20+years from Belize City ambulance services, as well as all fourteen EMTs and paramedics. They were able to arrive on the island thanks to free travel via the island water taxis. We thank Mr. Dominguez of the San Pedro Fire Department for providing accommodations for the team. We extend our gratitude to Ms. Robinson, Assistant Superintendent and Officer in Charge of the San Pedro Department, who fully supported us to the best of her abilities.
Special appreciation goes out to Dr. Noeli. Nicholson, M.D., who was on call for the four days. She was and is one of the very best myself and the team has ever worked with. Her expertise in medicine is exceptional. We also thank Dr. Laurenzco Nicholson, M.D. and Dr. Javier Zuniga M.D. Without these individual’s help, we could not have functioned as well as we did. We had no idea what to expect since the service had never really been attempted before, and we are thankful that it worked out as well as it did.

Altun Ha – The Pride of Belize’s Maya HistoryBelize has its fair share on Maya Temples and historical locations of the ancient Maya civilization but none can quite compare to the prestige and popularity of the county’s most loved and well known Maya city, Altun Ha. Despite its relatively small size compared to others in the area Altun Ha is one of Belize’s most excavated and restored location making it a favorite for tourists and visitors wanting to experience a true sense of ancient Maya civilization from centuries past. Add to that the fact that it is the closest Maya site to Belize City, and is very easy to get to as compared to some of its more hidden counterparts, and you can see why Altun Ha has become the pride and joy of Belizean Mayan heritage.
Few Belizeans can think about Maya Culture without immediately pondering the ancient Maya wonder of Altun Ha. It’s popularity and prestige in Belizean society is so ingrained that you would be hard pressed to find any Belizean who has not either been to or grew up knowing everything about that famous location. Altun Ha is synonymous with Belize and connects the country to its majestic past, so much so that the symbol of Altun Ha, its largest and most popular temple, the “Temple of the Masonry Altars”, has made its way onto the face of the national currency, and on to the bottles of the country’s leading beer, Belikin.

Misc Belizean Sources

Kurse of the Xtabai On TourReef TV caught up with a multitude of people that caught the showing of Cayo's Kurse a di Xtabai at the Paradise Theater on Ambergris Caye. Not only did everyone have rave reviews, but he interviewed Matthew Klinck, and it looks like Make-Belize Films will be doing quite a few more movies, and they'll be getting attention all over.
"2012: Kurse a di Xtabai is a Creole-language supernatural thriller and the first feature length dramatic movie to be entirely produced in Belize. It was directed and produced by Matthiew Klinck and selected as the opening night movie of the 2012 Belize International Film Festival."

Belize National Song CompetitionVote for your favorite song in 3 different categories for a national song for the 2012 September celebrations. The 3 categories are Carnival song, Patriotic song, and Junior song. Many faces, many dreams, one goal: Celebrating Belize!
"You are allowed to vote once for each song in the Patriotic, carnival and junior categories. So listen to them all and cast your vote on the ones you like. If you have comments you may post them at the bottom."

CTV3

Drunken Brawl Costs One Man $6,000Tonight Corozal Police has charged 28 year old Manuel Hernandez, the man accused of barging into the home of 64 year old Cecilia Botes, brandishing a machete looking for 42 year old Wadencio Che and his 22 year old son Luis Che whom he had a fight with. Viewers might recall that the commotion, it is alleged, sent Botes’ blood pressure sky high. She died while being transported to the Corozal Community Hospital. As a result of the altercation Wadencio Che received a cut wound to his left eyebrow while Luis Che received a large cut wound to his right upper left shoulder. Manuel Hernandez was injured to the mouth and arrested by police. It was not known if Hernandez would be charged for the injuries caused on the Che’s or much less for the death of Botes.
The last time we spoke to Corozal Police we were informed that the file against Hernandez would be sent to the DPP for advice. And from all indications it was because today Corozal Police formally charged Hernandez for the crime of grievous harm against Luis Che. When he appeared before the Corozal Magistrates Court this afternoon Hernandez, a cane farmer from the village of Cristo Rey, pled not guilty and was granted bail to the sum of $6,000 which he met. He is scheduled to re-appear in court in the month of October.

Alberto Naj Charged For Drug TraffickingA man from the Corozal District has been charged for drug trafficking. On August 15th Corozal Police executed a search at the residence of 36 year old Jose Alberto Naj, a mason of #46 Bocotora Street. But even before the search began, Naj ran into the yard and threw a small transparent plastic bag over a fence. Police retrieved the bag and found it to contain 2.9 grams of suspected crack cocaine.
As a result Naj was arrested and charged for drug trafficking. This afternoon he appeared before the Corozal Magistrates Court where he was charged for drug trafficking. He pled not guilty to the charge and was granted bail to the sum of $6,000 which he met. Naj is scheduled to re-appear in court on October.

Making A Difference By Changing LivesThere is no doubt in the minds of Belizeans that our country has drastically changed over the past few years. One of the major changes is the crime and violence rates that have reached a shocking level, and the country’s poverty rate, only adds insult to injury. Without a doubt the children of Belize are the ones being most affected by all these negative changes. They become susceptible to being recruited into gangs and some are even forced out of school in order to work. But the Belize Camping Experience, a registered non-profit Belizean organization formed in 2006, believes in saving the children of Belize from the grasp of crime, violence and poverty. Since 2006 the organization has been working with children between the ages of six and 12 living in high risk areas across Belize City. Through summer camps and other activities, the organization keeps in contact with the youths throughout the year. According to the Director of Belize Camping Experience Alexander Perez, presently the organization has 1,000 children under their care.
Alexander Perez- Director Belize Camping Experience
“Why we cater there much is because the violence is so huge, the way how those kids live, I am from Orange Walk, and I am telling you just week ago we lost one of our campers, one of our councillors was shot and that is the reality of Belize, are we going to do something like that kind of violence is moving to Orange Walk, we believe that if we can get the country excited we start in Belize where is the worst place where to live but there is hope, there is hundreds of kids in the city of Belize and we want to meet with them before the gang members do right. The children that we cater for are the high risk areas, Southside you talking Mahogany Street, where the Antelope, Racoon, areas where you as Orange Walkeno don’t want to go right, once you know those kids in those neighbourhoods it’s a safe swan, we focus in that area because we believe that we can steer up something else and so that Belize can see that there is actually good things that can come out from areas like that.”

Flooding In Xaibe Affects Agricultural SectorIn last night’s newscast we showed you the after effects of Tropical Depression number 7 which turned into a Tropical Wave. It caused a wide range of flooding across the Corozal District leaving streets, yards and homes under several inches of water. The mass flooding affected areas such as Chula Vista, Altamira, Potzal and Olga Marin Drive sending DEMO Corozal into an emergency meeting. But Corozal Town was not the only place affected by the flooded waters. Villages such as Libertad, Concepcion, San Joaquin and Xaibe were also affected. In Xaibe several homes were left under water, but what’s even worst, is that the agricultural sector in the area received some serious damage.
Hipolito Novelo – Reporting
Numerous roads and yards are under several feet of water in the Village of Xaibe in the Corozal District. Like residents of Corozal Town, Villagers of Xaibe did not expect the flooding and the damage that it caused. Homes are inundated by more than four feet of water but what is even worse is that the livelihood of villagers is at stake since the bad weather damaged their crops.
According to Genara Cano, the Area Leader for Humana People to People, over thirty families have been affected in the village of Xaibe.

Xaibe Residents Want TO Know Where Is The Assistance?Earlier in the newscast we told you about how the flooding has affected the farmers of Xaibe Village. While those farmers are grieving the loss of their crops, some residents are frustrated that no assistance is coming their way as is the case of 45 year old Maria Rodriguez who suffered the blunt of the bad storm that passed through the country on Wednesday night. Her yard has turned into a lagoon and what’s even worst, the water is stagnant.
Maria Rodriguez- Resident Xaibe
“Yo lo que le quiero decir que me saquen el agua de mi terreno, solo eso y mis cosas porque todo se me perdió, todo, todo no saque nada, solo eso y nada mas porque no les pido ninguna ayuda que solo quiero que me ayuden con el agua pues lo balance yo lo puedo conseguir a como de lugar.”
Living across Rodriguez is 33 year old Rubycelly Duran and her family. Like Rodriquez, Duran’s home is inundated by water and she is yet to receive assistance from the relevant authorities, despite several requests made.

BWU Elects New ChairmanTwo weeks, on August 3rd, Ian Leiva, who is now the former Chairman of the Belize Worker’s Union, resigned from his post. In a letter written by Leiva to the executive of the Union, he states that he no longer wants to be the Chairman of the union and is resigning from his post. Leiva didn’t specify the reasons for his resignation but stated; however, that he wishes for the union to keep moving forward.
In light of Leiva’s resignation, this afternoon members of the union participated in a bi-election to select a new chairman. Out of the 147 union members only 40 attended the bi-election which was won by Ramiro Ramon Gongora, the union’s former secretary. Gongora, who was uncontested, received the full support of the 40 members.
This evening we caught up with Gongora who told us that he will immediately start tackling some of the problems the union faces, including the payment of dividends.
Ramiro Gongora, Chairman BWU
“It was actually taken by the depth of the worker that didn’t even knew that BSI had such a depth and that cause all this sugar industry to go in a different direction bringing in other investors into the sugar industry. We were just told that there was a proposal we didn’t agree we were just taken into a meeting in Belize City as a protector and I am also a protector and we were just taken to a meeting at the Chambers of Commerce and explained to us that this is the proposal that is being given to worker and we didn’t even vote or nothing we were just told that this is what they are proposing.”

Haven away from home at Hickatee (part 2)In addition to the great things about Hickatee Cottages I shared in part 1 of this post, there's even more that we loved about being here. They have this great little dipping pool. It was cool, refreshing, and just right for lounging around in. Even though I am bird watching in this photo, I did enjoy this pool daily after our hikes and bike rides.
Flowers in our cottage
There are cute stone paths around the property, perfect for watching birds and butterflies from.
The paths did get a bit wet after a heavy rain one night, but they didn't take that long to drain.
Umbrellas outside your door are a thoughtful touch
There's a pretty creek with lily pads.
And the road right outside the property is great for birdwatching too since it's the perfect wood's edge environment. We spent many an hour here.

Crap shoot – a San Pedro shopping storyAnyone that lives here knows shoe shopping is a tricky business in San Pedro. Today I am going to tell you story about how tricky.
I wanted some news some shoes for a weekend work function so I set out walking to town to see what I could find at my 4 usual choices for shoe shopping in downtown San Pedro. My requirements were very simple some sort of black or neutral color wedges to go with a cute black dress I was going to wear while snapping pics of the cocktail party decor, sounds simple right? Not so much.
First I did a fast pass through Wings department store – nothing new in stock. Weaving my way towards the center of town, next I walked to the place upstairs in a green building on a side street close to Tropic Air. Not sure the name but I know Eileen and Dan from DandE’s frozen custard are their neighbors, struck out there too. Then came Foreva Fancy in the same building as the Belize Red Cross. It was looking promising, I found a few pairs I liked. That is until I found out they only order one size per pair of shoes, I was not Cinderella in their store. Last stop on my list was Top Notch on front street, no luck.
All this shopping was making me hungry so I walked to Dixie’s Shake, for flautas. While they were cooking I decided to stop by Belizean Melody, one of our more popular island Art galleries. If you know Melody Wolfe you know she a shoe guru. I knew she would have at least one secret store. I lucked out and she had two recommends. I walked around the corner to the first one – Lala’s store and found out they were not done their 4 h mid day break so I walked to the next spot above gecko graphics. They pulled out their catalog and said see what you like we can order and have it here in 3 weeks – sigh.

The Bus From Cancun and a Few Hours in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico...Baby Lions? Really?After an unexpectedly AWESOME time in Cancun (swimming with whale sharks, releasing baby turtles and 25 cent Hass avocados set a new high bar for me), our week at the Royal Sands Cancun was over. Good bye view from my balcony...
Good-bye mega-hotel with the insane army of ever friendly employees...(here they are mobilized to clean the already pristine beach in the morning...50 guys probably picking up dead baby turtles before the kids get up)
good-bye gym heavenly enough for me to go 7 days in a row. That beats my old record by about 4 days.
Anyway, it's time to catch the bus south. And since we are in one of the world's greatest areas (Yucatan/Belize), why not make a few stops on the way down home.
We took the city bus (still only $8.50 pesos ANYWHERE in Cancun) from the hotel to the ADO bus station. Once there, they have buses running to Playa Del Carmen every 15 minutes pretty much all day.
They have this separate section for these tickets.
The ride is easy...just about an hour and only $48 pesos or $3 USD. Mexico's bus service is incredible in every way...a machine.
Playa del Carmen was a tiny fishing village not so long ago but due to its gorgeous beach and international restaurants and shops and amazing location, it has really exploded. The population is now listed at 150,000! Fifth Avenue is a pedestrian street that is certainly touristy but in many ways maintains a bunch of local and European charm. A good place to stop for a few hours.

International Sources

Belize to Skip Payment If Lenders Don't RelentBelize, a Central American nation with an economy the size of Pine Bluff, Ark., is running out of money to pay its debts. But the tiny country is playing hardball with its lenders.
Belize is insisting that creditors forgive 45% of what they are owed, or allow it to delay any debt payments for 15 years. Otherwise, it says it won't make its next payment of $23.1 million due on Monday. And if Belize and its bondholders don't reach a deal by Sept. 19, the country will default on its $543.8 million in outstanding debt—making it the first sovereign default since Greece forced creditors to take a 53.5% loss in March.
Creditors say Belize didn't tell them directly that it planned to skip a payment. The country simply posted its intention on the Central Bank of Belize's website.
"We're mystified," said A.J. Mediratta, a partner with Greylock Capital Management and the leader of a creditors' group holding about $300 million in Belize's bonds. "I'm sure every country could benefit from not paying their debt but this isn't the way to do it. They're unnecessarily turning themselves into an international pariah."